The Future of Accessibility for Parks and Rec

Parks and recreation department leaders work hard to ensure that public facilities are accessible to everyone, including the 28.7% of Americans who live with a disability.

Still, there are a number of ways to improve the overall parks and rec experience that you may not have considered.

By embracing intuitive technology solutions, you can make it possible for every resident to participate in programming and access key information about your services online, regardless of ability.

Best of all, you don’t have to do it alone. Here’s how the right technology can help you give accessibility — and community satisfaction — a boost.

Increase Self-Service Capabilities

Technology can enhance anyone’s park experience, but it can be of critical importance to people with disabilities. In a recent Outdoor Recreation Consumer Study, nearly half of surveyed travelers with a disability reported that being able to book a visit in advance would make them more likely to visit a national park, national forest, or other federal land, and seven out of 10 said the ease of booking is an important factor when planning a trip to a national park.

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Clearly, it’s critical to have an intuitive technology solution available for the public to book facilities and rentals, register for activities, and pay for fees and services online. At the same time, digital calendars, text messages, and email alerts can improve communication while secure single sign-on for public platform access can remove friction from the digital civic experience, making it easier than ever for residents to engage.

Alleviate Cost Concerns

If large-scale recreational equipment is required for participation, some people may have to bow out due to cost concerns or lack of storage space (e.g., kayaks, canoes, bicycles). Still others may require adaptive equipment, such as a hand bike. But what if there was a way to eliminate those barriers to entry so that everyone had a chance to get involved?

Equipment rentals can make certain activities more cost-effective and engage residents who previously weren’t able to, or thought they couldn’t, participate. A user-friendly software solution can make it easy for everyone to reserve the items they need online. The benefits for residents are obvious, but by increasing accessibility, you also make it more convenient for people to come together and spend time with their family, friends, and other residents. The result? A happier, stronger community.

Ensure Legal Compliance

People with disabilities often have a tough time navigating the internet — which can explain why they’re less likely to go online daily and three times as likely to say they never do, according to a recent study. This can have a huge impact on their park visits, as 44% of respondents surveyed for the aforementioned Outdoor Recreation Consumer Study said they’re more likely to visit parks if they can find information online about a park’s accessibility level.

Fortunately, the internet should become friendlier to everyone soon, as the United States Department of Justice has issued a new rule on web-based accessibility for state and local governments.

By 2027, all public entities must meet requirements for text descriptions of images, time-based media, adaptable and distinguishable content, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility, in accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

And while accessibility is a moral imperative, there are legal consequences for noncompliance, too. In states including California and Colorado, individuals can sue an organization for monetary damages — plus the entity can be fined — for violating the ADA. If the U.S. Department of Justice finds a state agency’s website is in violation of the ADA, it can bring civil action, seeking a penalty of up to $75,000 for an initial violation and $150,000 for subsequent ones.

Making sure your website is fully compliant with the new rule is complicated and time-consuming if you’re trying to do it manually — but it’s a cinch if you have the right software.

Help ensure your parks and recreation software is compliant with state and federal laws, and rest easy knowing that you’re doing all you can to make your park and recreation facilities and programming (and their digital counterparts) accessible to all.